Rivet-setting machine



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L. H. SCHNEIDER. RIVBT SETTING MACHINE.

Patented May 10,1898.

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2 e h S W e e h S 3 E D TL B N H O H L m d 0 M O m RIVBT SETTING MACHINE.

No. 603,743. Patented May 10,1898.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. L. H. SCHNEIDER.

RIVET SETTING MACHINE.

Patented May 10,1898,

INVENTEIR Louis Hflchrwclen I UNITED STATES J PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS H.- SOHNEIDER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

RlVET-SETTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 603,743, dated May 10, 1898.

Application filed September 7,1867. Serial No. 650,808. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS H. SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State elevation of the lower portion of the raceway and plunger-bar and the mechanism for 'carrying the rivets into position beneath the punch. Fig. 3 is a similar elevation showing the parts in a different position. Fig. 4c is a vertical section on the line 4 4.- of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a central section of the hopper drawn on a reduced scale.

My invention relates to that class of rivetsetting machines in. which headed rivets provided with prongs or legs are forced through and said legs turned back or clenched upon the under side of the material to be riveted. To simplify and improve the construction of machines of this character and enable the rivets to be positively, rapidly, and unfailingly driven without liability of being bent out of shape or crippled before reaching the material into which they are to be driven is the object of my invention, which consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

. In the said drawings, A represents the framework of the machine, in suitable bearings in which runs the driving-shaft B, carrying the driving-pulley O and an eccentric a, which lies between and operates upon the forks b of a rocker-arm D, fulcrumed at 8 and connected with the plunger-bar E, which reciprocates in the head G and carries the punch or upper riveting-die c, which cooperates with the lower stationary riveting-die d, removably secured to the outer end of an arm e, projecting from the frame A. The outer end of the rocker-arm D is bifurcated, as shown.

in Fig. 4., and fits within notches or recesses 10, formed in opposite sides of the plungerbar E. v

H is the hopper for containing the rivets, said hopper being secured to an inclined support f, bolted to the frame A, and within this hopper is placed a rotary stirrer-arm 15, Fig.- 7, having a wire brush 9, as shown, which acts onthe rivets and causes them to pass to the point from which theyescape into the raceway. The arm 15 is secured to the upper end of a shaft 16, mounted in a tubular bearing f, projecting from the bottom of the hopper H and carrying at its lower end a bevelgear 18, which meshes with a bevel-gear 20 on the driving-shaft B, the motion of which is thus communicated to the rotary stirrerarm 15. p

K is a sleeve which encircles and slides upon the lower portion of the plunger-bar E and also slides freely within the head G, said sleeve having a flange or collar 21, which on the ascent of the plunger-bar is brought into contact with ,the bottom of the head G, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, which thus forms a stop to limit the upward movement of the sleeve. From the lower end of the plungerbar E projects a screw m, which serves by contact with the bottom. of the sleeve K to raise the same as the plunger-bar ascends. I L is the raceway, which is composed of an upper vertical stationary portion 23, secured to the framework A, and a lower verticallyreciprocating portion 24, inclined at an angle and rigidly connected with the sleeve K by means of an arm or extension 25 and an angle-brace 26, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3,.the beveled upper end of the portion '24: fitting against and sliding upon the lower end of the portion 23 as the sleeve K is moved up and down by the plunger-bar.

At the bottom of the hopper H and in line with the raceway is a narrow slot nfor the reception of the prongs or legs of the rivets, which are properly deposited in said slot by the action of the rotary brush g, after which they pass through said slot into the upper por- IOC.

tion of the raceway L, down which they freely slide to the nose-piecep at its lower end,which forms a presser-foot, which on the descent of the plunger-bar and sleeve is brought down upon the material to be riveted to hold the same firmly in position upon the stationary riveting-die d, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The upper portion 23 of the raceway is located on one side of the lower inclined portion 24 of the same, the lower end of the upper portion being curved to cause its track or slot to meet the track in the lower portion, as shown in Fig. 5, and said portions 23 24 are provided, respectively, with coveringplates (1 r, fastened thereto in such a manner as to leave a space for the free passage of the heads of the rivets as they slide down the raceway to the end or nose-piece p, which is provided with a vertical opening 27, the diameter of which is just sufficient to permit of the free passage therethrough of the rivet and the punch c, by which it is driven. A groove or slot 8, Figs. 1 and 4, is formed in one side of the nose-piece p to permit of the introduction of a piece of wire or other implement to remove a rivet in case it should have been accidentally driven without having a piece of material beneath the same.

The upper portion 28 of the covering-plate r of the lower portion of the raceway is bent at an angle and extends upward vertically beyond the lower end of the covering-plate q and at one side of the same, as shown in Fig. 5, whereby as the lower portion of the race way is carried or slid down on the lower end of the vertical portion of the same by the descent of the sleeve K, with which it is connected, as before described, the said portion 28 of the lower covering-plate 7 will overlie the lower part of the track of the uppor portion 23 of the raceway, and thus prevent the escape of the rivets therefrom, as would be the case if it were left exposed or uncovered, which would occur if it were not for the extension 28. By thus constructing the raceway of two separate portions and securing the lower portion rigidly to the reciprocating sleeve K, so that it must necessarily slide up and down on the vertical or upper portion, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the line of rivets in the latter is kept constantly moving up and down, whereby they are loosened in case they should become obstructed by dirt or otherwise and their continuous passage through the raceway thus insured.

The escapement by means of which the rivets in the raceway are delivered one by one into a position beneath the punch or rivetingdie will now be described.

To the sliding sleeve K is secured a narrow plate or bar 30, which fits and slides within an open slot 31 in the head G, and to the upper end of this bar 30, on a stud 32, projecting therefrom, is pivoted a lever M, actuated in one direction by a spiral spring 33 and in the opposite direction by a roll 34 on the plunger-bar E, which as the latter descends strikes the inclined top of the lever M and moves the same to the right against the resistance of the spring 33. To the lower end of the lever M is pivoted at about the center of its length an escapement-finger 25, having its lower end beveled off to form a sharp point 50, which is adapted to pass between the two lowermost rivets in the raceway, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, as the lever M is operated by the spring 33 on the ascent of the plunger-bar. The escapement-finger carries at its lower end, near the point, an antifriction-roll 35, which is held down upon a cam or incline 36, secured to the covering-plate r of the lower portion of the raceway by a spiral spring 38, fastened to the upper end of the escapement-fingerand to the lever M, said cam serving as a guide to cause the point of the escapement-finger to take the proper direction as it is moved up and down by the mechanism described.

The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 2, as the plunger-bar, with the punch c, ascends the roll 34 clears the top of the lever M, when the spring 33, acting on said lever in connection with the spring 38, causes the point 50 of the escapement-finger t to descend and pass between the two lowermost rivets, as shown in Fig. 3, the spring 38 holding the roll 35 firmly down upon the guide cam or incline 36 and insuring the entering of the point of the escapement-finger between the said two rivets. As soon as the escapement-finger engages the lowermost rivet it holds the same firmly against the adjacent side of the punch, as shown in Fig. 3, and at the same time as it descends acts as a wedge to force the entire line of rivets backward in the raceway ready to again slide down upon the withdrawal of the finger as the plunger-bar descends, this movement freeing the rivets if they should stick or become obstructed by dirt or otherwise and thereby avoiding any liability of their failure to reach the punch at the proper time.

As the lowerinclined portion 24 of the racewayL is carried upward by the ascent of the sleeve K, to which it is secured, the rivets in said portion 24 are crowded downwardly by the weight of the line of rivets in the vertical portion 23, which rest upon the same, thus insuring the lowermost rivet being in the proper position to enable the point 50 of the escapement-finger to pass between it and the rivet next above.

In machines of this character as hitherto constructed the lowermost rivet, by reason of being obstructed by a particle of dirt or from other cause,would sometimes stick just before arriving at the bottom of the raceway, when the escapement-finger would be brought into contact with the head of the rivet instead of passing between the same and the one next above, which would cause the lower rivet to be held fast instead of passing beneath the punch,as required,resultin gin inconvenience and delay, which is avoided by my improved construction.

On the descent of the plunger-bar, when the roll 34 strikes the inclined top of the escapement-lever M, it first acts to force down the sleeve K and lower portion 24 of the raceway connected therewith, thereby bringing the foot or nose-piece 19 down upon the material to be riveted to hold the same upon the lower riveting-die (1.

As the plunger-bar ascends and the punch rises out of the vertical passage or opening 27in the nose-piece p the escapement-finger pushes the lowermost rivet into said opening and simultaneously holds it firmly against the opposite side of the same, as shown in Fig. 1, directly beneath and ready to receive the punch on its descent, the escapement-finger holding the rivet in the position just described until the punch has struck it and forced it down within the nose-piece to such distance that its prongs or legs cannot possibly be thrown out of a vertical position, which insures the rivet being properly set and avoids any possibility of the legs of the rivet being bent or cutoff by the punch while being forced down thereby through the opening in the nose-piece.

The point of the escapement-finger when in the position showndotted in Fig. 1 extends down into the raceway to a distance about equal to the length of the legs of the rivet against which it bears, thus holding the rivet in its proper vertical position, while the inclined or beveled side of said finger at'thc same time bears against the side of the punch above the rivet, which prevents the finger under the influence of the springs 33 and 38 from exerting undue pressure upon the rivetleg and bending it inward, as might otherwise occur.

The rivet is forced down by the punch, so that its legs will be below the point where the raceway meets the vertical passage 27 of the nose-piece before the escapement-finger releases the rivet, at which moment the roll 34 on the plunger-bar E strikes the top of the escapement-lever M and forces down the sleeve K and portion of the raceway connected therewith until the nose-piece has been brought down onto the material to be riveted. The plunger-bar carrying the punch then continues on its downward course, drawing the escapement-finger back into the position shown in Fig. 2 ready to engage the next rivet in the manner previously described, and the punch then completes its downward movement and sets the rivet into the material.

By means of the escapement mechanism constructed as described the rivets are caused to be driven positively and with great rapidity without danger of becoming bent or crippled before reaching the material into which they are to be set, while each rivet is held firmly and securely by the escapement-finger itself without the assistance of any other device, thus simplifying and cheapening the construction of the machine, while after the escapement-finger has once taken hold of the rivet it never loses control of the same until the punch has engaged it and forced it down sufficiently far into the vertical passage in the each provided with a covering-plate overlapping the rivet slot or track therein, and the covering-plate of the lower inclined portion being bent at an angle and extending upward beyond the lower end of the coveringplate of the upper portion to overlie the lower portion of its track or slot on the descent of the lower portion of the raceway, substantially as described.

2. In a rivet-setting machine, the combination with the reciprocating plunger-bar carrying the punch and provided with a sleeve sliding thereon, and encircling its lower end and a raceway composed of an upper stationary portion and a lower inclined portion moving thereon, and rigidly connected to the sliding sleeve and provided at its lower end with an aperture for the passage of the punch and rivet driven thereby, of a-lever pivoted to the sleeve and actuated in one direction by a spring and in the opposite direction by a roll 'or projection on the plunger bar, a springactuated escapement finger pivoted to said lever and provided with a pointed or beveled lower end adapted to pass between the two lowermost rivets in the raceway, a guide cam or inclineon the cover of the lower portion spring connected therewith, whereby as the plunger-bar is reciprocated the escapementfinger is guided as it is moved up and down to cause it to enter between the rivets and hold the lower rivet with a spring-pressure against the punch as the latter ascends, substantially as described.

3. In a rivet-setting machine, the combination with the reciprocating plunger-bar and punch and a raceway having an aperture at its lower end for the passage of thepunch and rivet driven thereby, of a spring-actuated pivoted escapement-finger having a narrow pointed lower end adapted toenter the slot at the lower end of the raceway and pass between the two lowermost rivets and hold the lower rivet with a spring-pressure against the punch while the latter is rising within the ap 'erture at the bottom of the raceway, the point of the escapementfinger While passing be tween the two rivets serving to force back the Witness my hand this 2d day of September, line of rivets in the raceway and after earry- A. D. 1897.

ing the lower rivet into position beneath the I punch, bearing against the side of the latter LOUIS SCHNEIDER 5 on its descent above the rivet to prevent nn- In presence of due pressure of the finger thereon, substan- P. E. TESOHEMACHER,

tially as described. B. L. MARDEN. 

